-My art practice centers on exploring how digital media and artificial intelligence redefine human perception and identity. Coming from a family with deep artistic roots, including my great-grandfather, the sculptor Leonid Kuzmin, I've always been drawn to how tradition intersects with modernity. This background influences my work, pushing me to blend classic artistic values with cutting-edge technology.

My main themes delve into the tension between the real and the virtual, showing how technology alters our experiences and sense of self. Using virtual art and AI-driven pieces, I create works that expose the hidden layers of digital processes. My general intention is to challenge viewers to reflect on how technology connects, isolates, and transforms us.

As well I explore the vital need for society to develop a more mindful and sustainable approach to consumption. Central to this is the idea of recognizing and preserving what nature provides us, while leveraging technology as a tool to aid in this process.

-My creative process starts with the development of a general idea. When I have an initial concept, I dive into research, collecting visual references and exploring themes that resonate with the idea.

From there, I move into experimenting with various digital tools and AI tools in particular like Luma, Minimax, Runway, and Midjourney. Each tool brings its own set of possibilities and limitations, which I use to push the concept further. For instance, I might use Midjourney to generate surreal images that capture the core emotion or scene I’m envisioning. Runway, Luma, Minimax come into play for making video elements, integrating AI-driven effects that add dynamic and layers to the piece.

The process involves a lot of iteration. I make prompts, adjust parameters, and test outputs, letting the AI suggest directions I might not have considered. This stage feels like collaborating with the tools themselves. Once I’ve compiled the raw components, I bring everything together in post-production, polishing details and balancing visual and thematic elements. The final piece emerges as a blend of my vision and the creative randomness that AI introduces, resulting in work that invites viewers to question their interactions with digital technology and their place within it.

-Primary Forest is a work that combines AI with the urgent environmental issues surrounding the Amazon rainforest. This piece is deeply personal and meaningful because it represents both a creative exploration and a powerful call to action regarding the destruction of one of the most vital ecosystems on the planet.

In Primary Forest I use AI to generate and manipulate digital landscapes that evoke the beauty and complexity of the rainforest. I wanted to create a piece that not only visualizes the richness of the Amazon, but also reflects the fragility and urgency of its conservation. Through AI, I can simulate the intricate layers of the forest—its vast biodiversity, the interplay between light and shadow and then distort or fragment these visuals to represent the impact of deforestation and climate change. The use of AI, with its ability to quickly generate vast quantities of data and visual output, mirrors the overwhelming scale of the environmental crisis we’re facing.

It is both a tribute to the beauty of the rainforest and a stark reminder of its vulnerability. The AI-generated images and videos allow me to capture the richness of the ecosystem, but they also serve as metaphors for its impending loss. In some parts of the piece, the forest is intact, lush, and teeming with life; in others, it’s fragmented or decaying, representing the destructive forces at play.

By using technology to represent ecological loss, I’m trying to bring attention to something that often feels distant or abstract to many people.

Through this work, I hope to create an emotional connection with viewers, encouraging them to consider not just the beauty of the Amazon but the profound implications of its destruction.

-Technology has expanded the boundaries of what I can create, offering new tools for exploration and pushing me to think differently about art itself. AI, in particular, has become a vital collaborator, enabling me to quickly generate and experiment with visual concepts that would be time-consuming or technically challenging to create manually.

One of the most significant ways technology has influenced my work is by opening up a new realm of possibilities for image and video creation. AI allows me to work at a much faster pace, iterating through hundreds of variations of an idea in a matter of minutes. This rapid experimentation challenges me to think less about the limitations of traditional media and more about the broader conceptual possibilities.

On a deeper level, technology has shifted my approach to authorship and creative ownership. In the past, I might have seen myself as the sole creator of a piece, but now I view myself more as a director or curator guiding a conversation with the machine. This shift has made me more aware of the intersection between human creativity and technological processes, and has prompted me to reflect on the role of AI in art—how it both empowers and challenges traditional notions of authorship, skill, and originality.

Visually, I’ve been able to merge styles and techniques that might not have been possible with traditional media. AI can take the influence of past masters or generate abstract forms that spark entirely new ideas. In video, it can help me create complex, dynamic narratives or glitchy, surreal environments that wouldn’t have been feasible in the same time frame using manual methods.

The integration of technology has made me think more expansively about what art can be. It’s no longer just about creating beautiful images or thought-provoking videos—it’s about exploring the relationship between human intuition and machine-generated possibilities, and using that dialogue to push the boundaries of creativity. AI has not replaced my vision; rather, it has enhanced and transformed it, giving me tools to rethink what art can communicate and how it can evolve in this technological age.

-Traditionally, authorship has been tied to the individual artist—someone who physically creates and directs every aspect of the work. But with AI and digital tools, the line between creator and tool is becoming increasingly blurred, and this shift challenges our traditional notions of authorship.

In my experience, AI functions less like a fully autonomous creator and more like a collaborator or extension of the artist’s own vision. For example, when I use AI to generate images or video, the AI responds to my prompts and decisions, but it doesn’t have its own intention or sense of purpose—it’s just executing a task. My role as an artist is to shape the prompts, curate the outputs, and refine the final piece. In this sense, I still see myself as the author, but I’m co-authoring with the technology. The idea of authorship, then, becomes more about the relationship between the artist and the machine, where the artist’s creative agency is enhanced, but not entirely replaced, by the digital tools.

This shift has also led to a broader conversation about what it means to be "an artist" in the age of AI.

If a piece of art is generated primarily by an algorithm, who owns the idea behind it? Is it the person who created the algorithm, the artist who used it, or the AI itself, which played a role in generating the output? I believe that authorship will become more about the intentionality behind the creation and the creative choices made in the process—whether that’s choosing the right AI model, curating the data, or making the final adjustments to the piece. AI can be an incredibly powerful tool for generating new possibilities, but the human element—our ideas, intentions, and critical thinking—remains essential in determining the direction and meaning of the work.

There’s also an interesting shift happening when it comes to the idea of "originality." In the past, originality was often associated with the uniqueness of the artist’s hand. But with AI, the concept of originality becomes more fluid. AI allows for the remixing of styles, influences, and existing works. This doesn’t mean that art loses its value or meaning; rather, it opens up new ways of thinking about creativity and authorship. It’s more about how we use the technology and how we give meaning to the work through our engagement with it.

-As a new media artist I’m constantly inspired by the idea of bridging the historical and the contemporary. Hokusai’s legacy—his commitment to exploring nature, human life, and the sublime in simple forms—aligns perfectly with my artistic goal of using modern tools to evoke timeless themes.

I saw this residency as an opportunity to push my work further, using advanced AI techniques to reinterpret classic artistic values in new, immersive ways. The residency’s focus on innovation and cross-disciplinary exploration resonated with my practice, where I use AI to generate, manipulate, and blend images and video, challenging the boundaries between reality and digital abstraction. Participating in AI Hokusai felt like a chance to deepen my creative dialogue, exploring how AI can extend traditional art forms into new realms that prompt audiences to see both the past and future through a different lens.

-I hope to deepen my exploration of the intersection between technology, ecology, and human interaction with the environment. I’m particularly interested in using AI and digital media to examine how technology can be both a tool for understanding ecological issues and a lens through which we can reflect on the human impact on the natural world. I want to create work that challenges traditional boundaries between nature and technology, prompting viewers to reconsider their relationship to the environment in a rapidly changing digital age.

One specific goal is to experiment with new ways of representing ecological systems—whether through dynamic video works, AI-generated imagery, or interactive digital installations—that highlight both the fragility and resilience of nature. I want to explore the ways that technology, while often a source of environmental harm, can also offer solutions or raise awareness about ecological issues. In that sense, I see my work as part of a larger dialogue about how art and technology can address the climate crisis and inspire more sustainable practices.

I want my work to act as a catalyst for thinking about how we can move forward—not just as individuals, but as a society—toward a more harmonious coexistence with the earth.

I hope my time in this residency will allow me to create art that sparks both intellectual and emotional engagement, offering viewers a new perspective on the relationship between the natural world, human actions, and the technologies.

-When AI began mastering tasks like text generation, image creation, and even coding, it sparked widespread concerns about its potential to replace artists, musicians, programmers, and many other professions. The inclusion of the word "Machines" in the title of my project reflects this reality, as it was primarily created with the assistance of AI. My intention with this project was to explore how AI might shift my role as an artist and how I engage with the creative process.

Humans have an instinctive tendency to view AI as a sentient being capable of thought and intention. I interact with AI through verbal prompts, much like conversing with a collaborator, and it responds. In terms of technical skill, AI can certainly outperform humans in many areas—it has long dominated in games like chess, and it can quickly produce works in any artistic style, drawing from the techniques of masters.

Yet, through my ongoing interaction with AI, I’ve come to realize a key distinction: AI lacks desire, emotion, and a sense of time that drives human creativity. It can generate an endless stream of images, but it does so without purpose or fulfillment—it’s like a camera that doesn’t care whether it captures a moment or remains idle. In this sense, AI and I cannot be true co-authors. Instead, I see AI as a powerful tool—one that, when understood and utilized effectively, can enhance and expand the creative possibilities available to human artists.

-As a new media artist working with AI tools, I believe AI significantly influences the possibilities of visual storytelling by offering new creative avenues and allowing for dynamic, non-linear narratives. AI can generate and manipulate images and video in ways that would be time-consuming or impossible with traditional methods. For example, tools like Midjourney can create intricate, surreal visuals from simple prompts, enabling storytellers to explore alternate realities and dreamlike sequences that are visually rich and imaginative.

AI also allows to use full scale production being an independent author. Using platforms like Runway ML, I can work with a professional video without leaving my home.

Furthermore, AI enables more fluid and organic transitions between scenes, characters, and worlds, creating an experience that’s constantly in motion and evolving. Minimax, for example, can help create realistic cinematic scenes with a deep professional picture. Ultimately, AI amplifies creativity, offering infinite variations and perspectives that can deepen engagement and challenge traditional notions of narrative structure.

-My general advice to emerging artists would be to embrace experimentation, stay curious, and always question the relationship between human creativity and the tools you use.

First, don't be afraid to explore new technologies—whether it's AI, VR, or software that's just beginning to gain traction. Technology can be intimidating, but it’s also a gateway to new creative possibilities. Start small, play with the tools, and allow yourself to make mistakes. Often, it's through those mistakes that you'll discover new ways of working, or even find a voice that resonates uniquely within the digital realm.

At the same time, remember that technology is a tool, not a replacement for your vision. It's easy to get caught up in the novelty of new tech, but your creative ideas and intentions should always be at the center of your work.

Whether you’re using AI to generate images, creating digital sculptures, or manipulating video footage, always think about how technology can amplify your message or deepen your exploration of themes. Technology should help express your artistic voice, not overshadow it.

Another important piece of advice is to be open to collaboration—both with other artists and with the technology itself. AI and digital tools can feel like an extension of your own creative process, and they often lead to results that you may not have expected or even imagined. Be willing to let the machine lead you to new ideas, and don't be afraid to allow for unexpected outcomes. Sometimes, the most interesting work comes from the intersection of your intuition and the surprises that technology can generate.

Also, take the time to understand the tools you’re using—not just on a surface level, but on a deeper, conceptual level. Understand the algorithms behind AI, the way code interacts with creativity, or how digital interfaces shape the work you create. The more you understand the technology, the better you can use it to your advantage.